Saturday, August 13, 2011

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED RECORD

Howlin Wolf - This Is Howlin Wolf's New Album

Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), better known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player.
With a booming voice and looming physical presence, Burnett is commonly ranked among the leading performers in electric blues; musician and critic Cub Koda declared, "no one could match Howlin' Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits." A number of songs written or popularized by Burnett—such as "Smokestack Lightnin'", "Back Door Man", "Killing Floor" and "Spoonful"—have become blues and blues rock standards.

At 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) and close to 300 pounds (136 kg), he was an imposing presence with one of the loudest and most memorable voices of all the "classic" 1950s Chicago blues singers. This rough-edged, slightly fearsome musical style is often contrasted with the less crude but still powerful presentation of his contemporary and professional rival, Muddy Waters. Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Little Walter Jacobs, and Muddy Waters are usually regarded in retrospect as the greatest blues artists who recorded for Chess in Chicago. Sam Phillips once remarked, "When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said, 'This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.'" In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #51 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

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About FOS

Friends of Sound is a locally owned record store in Austin, TX. We have two locations--one in the heart of South Austin at 1704 S. Congress, the other up north at 4631 Airport Blvd.
Both stores carry every genre under the sun--rock, soul, jazz, hip-hop, psych, world, lounge, soundtracks and the rest. Our south location specializes in rare soul, while our north store, BackSpin Records, is a go-to spot for hip-hop and dance 12"s.
Many of our employees are active DJs and artists. We help organize several shows every month at venues around Austin.
Please come check out our shops!